Machine for making hamburg steak patties



Nov. 3, 1953 F. s. ELSAESSER MACHINE FOR MAKING HAMBURG STEAK PATTIES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 17, 1947 Nov. 3, 1953 F. s. ELSAESSER 2,657,423

MACHINE FOR MAKING HAMBURG STEAK PATTIES Filed July 17, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 3, 1953 F.. s. ELSAESSER MACHINE FOR MAKING HAMBURG STEAK PATTIES 3 Sheets-Sleet 5 Filed July 17, 1947 INVENTOR. 15mm 5 F1: sAzssEz i atenteci Nov. 3, 195$ UN ITE D' STATEE are NT OFFICE MACHINE FOR MAKING STEAK rn'r'rms This invention relates to improvements in amachine for forming H'anrbmg steak patties:

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a machine for simultaneousiy dividing and mashing or flattening a stream of ground meat into patties which are to be subsequently cooked as Hamburg steaks;

Another object of this invention is the provision of a machine for'forming or providing Hamburg steak patties that are of greater length than width as distinguished from the usual round Ham-- burg steaks whereby the long buns as usual-1y employed with sausages or hot dogs may be em-- ployed in providing a Hamburg steak sandwich.

Another object of this invention is the previs'ion of a machine for accomplishing the foregoing objects an-d which Hamburg steak patties are provided with a coverin'gpaper above and below eachpatty.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a machine for accomplishing the above objects which is substantially automatic in its operation requiring an attendant to merely continuously feed the meat grinder so'that' a contihu'ou's stream of ground; meat is supplied to the machine so that the Hamburg steak patties of desired size" and weight may be automaticaliy produced.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a machine wherein thestream of Hamburg" steak I any modifications may be made in the exact structural details there shown anddescribed, within 4 Claims (01. 17-32) the scope of" theappended claims; without de Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View through thema' chineas seen from line 5-5 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end elevation of the I machineas seen from the right hand end of Fig; l.

through the dividing and mashing throat and forminga detaii of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of 2; Hamburg steak patty as produced by this machine.

Throughoutthe several views: of the drawings 5 similar reference characters are employed to clenot'e-the same or similar' parts.

A machine embodying the principles of the present invention may take any suitable or desirable form such forexample as illustrated in the drawingsi The machine illustrated: in the drawings comprises a supporting tabie t supported by a plu rality of uprights or legs H. Mounted on the table It for movement therealong' is an endless conveyor belt lt-extending about a driving drum I3 atone end of the table Hl'. In practicethe I3 is disposed a recess 14 in the table and is so mounted that the upper surface of the table" H1 is tangent-ta the drum. In order to so mount the driving drum i 3 it is keyed or other w-isesec'ured toashaft' lt-journal'ed suitable bear-- ings' [6 and I1 secured to the under surface of the table and depending therefrom.

The conveyor belt [-2, inaddition, extends about an idler drum or pulley 1'8 disposed in a recessl 9"atlthe-other'end ofthe table I8 The drum l8; similar to" the drum 1 3 has the upper surface of the tablelDi tangent thereto. In order to mount the idler: drum I8 it is keyed or otherwisesecured to a. which isjournaled in suitable 'bearin'gs' 2l' and. 22 depending from the under surface of the-table m.

In order to drive the drum! 1.3; and: thereby the transmission belt l2; the shaft 15 extends reai wardly'of the niachineand ha s keyed-or otherwise secured thereto a; pulley 23 about which is trained a belt 24; The belt 21 in addition-istrainedabout apulley 25am: onezend of-andntermed-ia'te or countershaft 26 rotatably supported: by a bracket 2:1.- The bracket 21' is secured to and upstandsfrom a shelf. 285 carried by the'l'egs l I in: a plane below the main supporting table mi. The intermediate or countershaft 26 has keyed or'otherwise secured to: its other end apul-ley '29 about which is trained a; belt 30 thatinturn extends about'a pulley Sl' 3 of a speed variator, indicated in general by the reference numeral 32.

The speed variator 32 may take any suitable or desirable form, that shown in the drawings being one such form and forms no part of the present invention except in combination. Specifically, the speed variator 32 includes a second pulley 33 the diameter of which is variable, as is the diameter of the pulley 3i, with said pulley diameters being conversely adjustable. In order to eifect the variation in the effective diameters of pulleys 3i and 33 the adjacent side thereof is formed by a common member 34 which is movable toward and from the fixed sides of pulleys all and 33. In order to effect this variation in pulley sizes the said pulleys are mounted on a shaft 35 carried by an arm 35 oscillatably mounted in base 3? of the speed variator 32. To effect the actual oscillation of the arm it has swivelly mounted therein a nut 38 with which is screw connected an adjusting screw 35. The screw 39 is journaled against axial movement in an upright or post lll from the base ti and the screw 59 carries at its outer end a hand Wheel 4| whereby said screw 39 may be rotated in effecting the adjusting of the speed variator.

Entrained about the pulley 33 is a belt t? which is in turn entrained about pulley 13 on shaft M of motor 45. It will be understood that oscillation of the shaft 35 will tend to tighten one belt 30 or 42 and thereby automatically loosen the other and thereby automatically obtain pulley diameter variations.

From the foregoing it is now evident that the conveyor belt If. is constantly driven and in order that the belt may be removed for periodic and necessary renovating it is provided with the usual separable connection 46 whereby its ends may be joined to provide an endless belt.

The driving mechanism supporting shelf 28 is shown as extending beyond one end of the main supporting table to to support the meat grinder which comprises a supporting block t? to which is secured the base 48 of the meat grinder. Upstanding from the base 38 is a pedestal 59 having secured thereto or integral therewith a motor 50. The motor t through suitable gears within gear reduction housing 5! drives a feed screw 52 within the body 53 of the meat grinder. Secured to the feed screw 52, at its forward end, is a cutter 5 3 which cooperates with an extrusion plate 55 in dividing or grinding the meat to the desired comminuted form. Forwardly of the extrusion plate 65 is a nozzle 55 through which the ground meat 51 is extruded. The nozzle 56 and extrusion plate 55 are secured to the grinder body 53 by a suitable shouldered nut 58. A feed neck or funnel 59 extends from the grinder body 53 and supports a suitable tray or the like 60 which normally holds the meat to be ground and from which tray the meat is fed to the grinder body.

The nozzle 56, as will later be made clear, has an opening of such capacity that the meat 5'? when severed into individual portions and fiattened out gives the proper quantity for forming a Hamburg steak patty. As will be seen from Fig. 2 the discharge nozzle 55 overlies the conveyor belt I2 substantially midway of its sides and at a point just above the driving drum l3. The ground meat 51, however, not discharged directly onto the conveyor belt but instead onto a paper layer 6| which overlies the belt l2 and moves therewith. The paper layer 6! is unreeled, as from a roll 62 carried by the forward end of the machine. Any suitable or desirable means may be provided for supporting th paper roll 52, such as that illustrated in the drawings, which comprises arms 53 and 64 having their inner ends secured to a transverse member 55 carried by the legs ll of the table Id. The arms 53 and E i each at its other end provides a bearing (i8 and 61 for a shaft 58 on which are mounted anti-friction or ball bearings 59 received in the hollow core iii of the roll 52.

The weight of the ground meat 57 is such as to supply sufficient pressure on the paper layer 5! that the said ground meat, paper layer 5| and conveyor belt 12 move as a unit to the meat dividing and mashing of flattening mechanism indicated in general by the reference numeral "ll. Prior, however to the ground meat 51 reaching the dividing and mashing or flattening unit ii the said ground meat is covered by a covering paper layer l2 which is unreeled, as needed, from a second paper roll "l3.

Any suitable or desirable means for supporting the paper roll it may be provided such for example as illustrated in the drawings. The means for mounting the paper roll 13 comprises a pair of uprights or standards i l and '35 secured to and upstanding from the supporting table it and respectively located on opposite sides of the conveyor belt 12. Each of the uprights or standards it and i5 is provided with a bearing member it; and "H in which is journaled a shaft l8 that supports anti-friction or ball bearings 79 received in the hollow core 55 or the paper roll '13.

The dividing and mashing or flattening unit ll comprises a shaft or axle Bl to which is secured a flattening or mashing drum 82; the shaft 3i projects beyond the sides of the drum 82 to be received in anti-friction or ball bearings 83 and 8G respectively carried by supports or bearing members 85 and 86 secured to and upstanding from the table [0. The mashing or flattening drum 82 is adapted to be power driven for which purpose it has keyed or otherwise secured to a projecting portion of its shaft 8| a pulley 81 about which is trained a belt 88. The belt 88 is in turn trained about a second pulley 89 keyed or otherwise secured to the drum shaft l5 wherefor said conveyor belt drum l3 and the conveyor belt i2 are simultaneously driven with the masher or flattener drum 82. It should be noted that the masher or flattener drum 82 is to be rotated to have its periphery travel in the same direction as the direction of travel of the conveyor belt I2 wherefor the belt 88 is twisted between the pulleys 89 and 81. It should further be noted that the peripheral speed of the masher or flattening drum 82 must be substantially equal to the peripheral speed or rate of travel of the conveyor belt l2.

In order to divide the stream of ground meat 57 into amounts or portions to produce Hamburg steaks, the drum 82 has projecting from its periphery a plurality of divider blades 95. The divider blades project outwardly, or radially of the masher or flattening drum periphery a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the patty and the subsequently formed Hamburg steak, and at the same time the said blades 55 are spaced from one another around the periphery of the drum 82 to form pockets 9i that determine the ultimate or final shape and size of the patties. In other words the dividing and mashing or flattening unit TI is so designed and mounted with respect to the table II] and its conveyor belt I-2 that each packet 91 forms: a Hamburg. steak patty of the. desired size and shape,

In practice the. stream of ground meat .5?! is considerably thicker than a Hamburg steak patty so that the quantity of meatr so far as the thickness is concerned, initially disposed a pocket 9i, is considerably thicker than desired although the quantity of meat is the desired. quantity; As: the pockets Ii I continueto move after initially being charged with meat thesaid meat is compressed within the pocket which in effect; causes the meat to be forced laterally of the machine.

thereby producing a Hamburg steakpatty having a comparatively small width and great length; such for example as illustratedin Fig. 9;

The dividing blades 90 may and preferably do have the cross section illustrated in Fig 81 which is substantially wedge shape and the said blades; 90 are preferably formed of hard rubber which while having sufficient strength and rigidity-to accomplish the desired function will not: damage the conveyor belt I2 since it operates directly against this belt in forming the patties. By this construction the division between adjacent patties takes the form illustrated at 92 in Fig. 8 wherein a substantially wide upper end is provided to accommodate the patty encasing paper cutting or dividing mechanism, to be presently described.

To assist in the mashing or flattening and the dividing of the meat 51' there is p ed i mediately below the dividing and mashing, or flattening mechanism II an anti-friction support for the belt I2. This anti-friction support comprises forming in the table I a recess 93 and securing in said recess at opposite sides thereof bearing members 94 and 95 each having formed therein aligned slots 96 receiving projecting journals of shafts 91 to each of which shafts 91 is secured an anti-friction roller 98. By this construction the flat top of the table I0 with its attendant friction resistance to the movement is materially facilitated.

Carried by the table I0 at its rear end is a paper cutting mechanism indicated in general by the reference numeral 99. The cutting mechanism 99 co-mpirses an oscillable knife or blade I00 pivotly mounted at IM to a bracket I02 secured to and carried by the table I0. In addition the table I0 has secured to its end, and spanning the recess I9 therein, a fixed blade I03 and relative to Which the movable blade I00 operates.

The operation of this paper out ofi mechanism is believed obvious since upon a patty division recess 92 in the ground meat stream 59 reaching rear end of the table I0 the knife blade is actuated therethrough and since the divider blades as separate the ground meat the said knife blade I98 severs the paper layers 6| and I2 between adjacent ground meat patties.

It has been found that the actuation of the knife blade I00 has a tendency to slow up the movement of the ground meat and since it is beyond the conveyor belt I2 use is made of an anti-friction supporting roller I04 which spans the recess I9 in the table end and has its projecting pins I J'ournaled in suitable recesses formed in the table.

From the foregoing it will now be appreciated that there has been provided a Hamburg steak patty forming machine that accomplishes the objects initially set forth.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described the combination of a supporting table, a constantly moving supporting and transporting belt on said tablo receiving and transporting a relatively thick stream of ground meat, a rotatable drumv above said table. beneath which the stream of ground meat. is moved, a flexible cover associated with said ground meat stream to be between said ground meat stream and said drum while the said ground meat stream is passing beneath the drum, a. plurality of blades circumferentially spaced axially extending: from the periphery of. the. drumwith each blade extending transversely of. the drum for substantially the full width thereof, said stream of ground meat being of reater thickness than the axial extent of the blades from the drum and severed into portions. by said. blades and each ground meat portion sufficient to form a Hamburg steak patty but each portion requiring spreading out and flattening into said patty, said drum blades axially extendingv from the'periphery of the drum an amount equal to the desired patty thickness and spaced from oneanother a distance less than the width of the. drum and forming on the drum periphery adjacent pockets whose long sides are formed by the drum blades, and means associated with the. drum for mounting the drum above the supporting table and supporting and transporting belt a distance substantially equal to the axial extent.

of. the blades therefrom so that each ground meat.

portion within its pocket is flattened into a Hamburg steak patty substantially conforming to the; dimensions of its pocket and said flexible cover is forced between the adjacent steak. patties by said blades.-

2. In a device of the class described. the come bination of a sup-porting table, a constantly moving supporting and transporting belt on said table receiving and transporting a relatively thick stream of ground meat, means connected with said supporting and transporting belt for effecting its movement, a paper roll rotatably supported by said table for supplying a flexible paper cover for said stream of ground meat, a rotatable drum above said table beneath which the stream of ground meat is moved, a plurality of blades circumferentially spaced axially extending from the periphery of the drum with each blade extending transversely of the drum for substantially the full width thereof, said stream of ground meat being of greater thickness than the axial extent of the blades from the drum and severed into portions as it passes beneath the drum, said drum blades each axially extending from the periphery of the drum an amount equal to the desired patty thickness and spaced from one another a distance less than the width of the drum forming on the drum periphery adjacent pockets whose long sides are formed by the drum blades, and means associated with the drum for mounting the drum above the supporting table and supporting and transporting belt a distance substantially equal to the axial extent of the blades therefrom so that each ground meat portion within its pocket is flattened into a Hamburg steak patty substantially conforming to the dimensions of its pocket and said ground meat flexible paper cover is forced between adjacent Hamburg steak patties by the said blades.

3. In a device of the class described the combination of a supporting table, a constantly mov-- ing supporting and transporting belt on said table receiving and transporting a relatively thick stream of ground meat, means connected with said supporting and transporting belt for effectin its movement, a paper roll rotatably supported by said table adjacent one end therescenes of for supplying a paper cover for said support-' ing and transporting belt, said supporting and transporting belt paper cover receiving a relatively thick stream of ground meat, a second roll or" paper rotatably supported by the table above the ground meat stream for supplying a flexible covering pap-er for said ground meat stream, a rotatab'ie drum above said table beneath which the stream of ground meat is moved, a plurality of blades circumierentially spaced axially extending from the periphery of the drum with each blade extending transversely of the drum for the full Width thereof, said stream of ground meat being of greater thickness than the axial extent of the blades and movable with its flexible covering paper and supporting and transporting belt with its covering paper beneath the drum, the said drum blades axially extending from the periphery of the drum an amount equal to the desired patty thickness and spaced from one another a distance less than the Width of the drum forming on the drum periphery adjacent pockets Whose long sides are formed by the drum blades, and means associated with the drum for mounting the drum above the supporting table and supporting and transporting belt and its covering paper a distance substantially equal to the distance the blades axially extend therefrom so that each ground meat portion within its pocket is flattened into a Hamburg steak patty substantially conforming to the dimensions of its pocket and said ground meat flexible paper cover is forced between adjacent Hamburg steak patties by the said blades.

4. As an article of manufacture for use with a Hamburg steak patty forming machine, a cylindrical drum, a plurality of blades circumferentially spaced axially extending from the periphcry of the drum with each blade extending transversely of the drum for substantially the full width thereof, said blades being spaced from one another an amount appreciably less than the Width of the drum and each blade axially extending from the periphery of the drum substantially the same distance and which distance is appreciably less than the circumferential spacing of said blades so that successive peripherial pockets around the drum are provided with each pocket substantially the full Width of the drum and of appreciably greater length than Width and appreciably less depth than Width and with each pocket adapted to receive a quantity of ground meat for spreading out and flattening into a Hamburg steak patty of greater length than width and less thickness than Width.

FRANK S ELSAESSER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 7 Name Date 1,409,998 Cooley Mar. 21, 1922 1,831,779 MacDonald Nov. 10, 1931 1,963,718 Schatz June 19, 1934 2,299,314 Elesh et a1 Oct. 20, 1942 2,386,775 Balzarini Oct. 16, 1945 23914.46 Tansley Mar. 26, 19 16 

